Bridle-bit.



No. 864,641. PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907.

F A GUEDBZ BRIDLE BIT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV,16,1906.

W/TNESSES v 15072641900 Cladez mfio A TTORNEYS FRANCISCO G'UEDEZ, OFOARACAS, VENEZUELA.

BRIDLE-BIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed November 16, 1906. Serial No- 348,673.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCISCO GUnDEz, a citizen of the Republic ofVenezuela, and a resident of Caracas, Venezuela, South America, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Bridle-Bits, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a construction of bridle bitparticularly adapted for use upon mules, which will be simple, durableand economic; and further to provide simple and conveniently-operatedadjusting mechanism whereby to adapt the bit for effective service in ahard mouth as in a soft or normal month by increasing or decreasing theleverage at the driving end of the cheek pieces.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved bit, the parts beingadjusted to obtain the least possible leverage; and Fig. 2 is a verticalsection taken through the cheek pieces and a portion of the bar Thecheek pieces A are constructed in two sections, a rearwardlyextendingsection 10 and an upwardly-extending section 10. These sections are madeof metal, and the sections 10 are made of any desired length and aremade plain or ornamental and connected near iheir rear ends by asuitable cross bar 11. At the rear extremities of the sections 10 of thecheek pieces rings or eyes 12 are formed to receive snaps, for exampleon the driving reins, and these ring terminals 12 are likewise shownprovided with openings 13 whereby the reins may be connected with thebit by means of rings or the like. The vertical or forward sections 10are adapted to extend up at the sides of the cheeks and have more orless of a forward inclination; and each section 10 is provided with alongitudinal slot 1.4 extending nearly the length of the sections. Eachvertical section 10 terminates at its upper end in an eye or a ring 15for attachment to the headstall, and the same rings likewise serve assupports for the throat-latch 16. In each side edge of each cheeksection 10 at its outer edge, a longitudinal angular groove 17 isproduced; and at the lower end of the forward upwardly-extendingsections l0 of the cheek pieces a forwardly and downwardly extending lip18 is formed, and the pivot pins 19 whereby the two sections of eachcheek piece are connected are carried by the said lips 18, extendingfrom the inner face of the same. These pivot pins 19 are provided withlugs 20, so that the pivot pins may be passed through key-hole slots 21made in the forward end-portions of the sections 10 of the cheek pieces,and by turning the said pivot pins they are locked in position but arecapable of being readily disconnected from said sections 10 whenrequired. By reason of the pivot connection between the sections 10 and10 of the cheek piece being at a lip or extension 18 a far greater rangeof adjustment is obtainable than if the said forward sections 10 werepivoted at their lower central portions to the said sections 10.

The forward sections 10 of the cheek pieces are shown as provided withholes 23 at their lower portions, and these may be utilized for theattachment of such auxiliaries or trappings as it is customary toprovide for a bit of this character in South American countries.

In connection with the forward sections 10 of the cheek pieces A, amouth bar B is employed, which may be of any type, that shown in thedrawings being in one piece and provided with an A center. A rectangularplate B is formed at each end of the bar B, and each plate B at itsouter face is provided with a rectangular lug or projection 24,extending outwardly therefrom. These lugs or projections 24 are adaptedto enter and freely slide in the slots 14 in the said forward sections10 of the cheek pieces. At each side of the lugs 24 on the plates B,vertical grooves 25 are made, adapted to receive the inner side faceportions of the said sections 10 between the longitudinal grooves 1.7and the slots 14, so that the plates B are guided in their longitudinalmovement relatively to the said front sections 10% of the said cheekpieces A. Preferably a scale 26 in inches is produced on the inner facesof the forward sections 10 of the cheek pieces at each side of the slots14 therein to facilitate accuracy of adjustment.

Each lug or projection 24 from a bar plate B is provided with anoutwardly-extending centrally located horizontal post B The said posts Bare circular and at their inner end portions they are exteriorly plainas shown at 27 in Fig. 2, and adjacent to the plain sections 27 of theposts exteriorly threaded sections 28 are provided. In the outer endportion of each post an aperture 29 is usually made.

Arms 30 are employed to adjustably and pivotally connect the sections 10and 10 of the cheek pieces A. These arms 30 as is shown in Fig. 1, areupwardly and forwardly curved, their forward ends being loosely receivedon the plain sections 27 of the posts B and their opposite or rear endsare pivotally attached to the rearwardly extending members 10 of thesaid cheek pieces about midway between their ends, as shown at 31 inFig. 1. After the arms 30 have been passed over the posts B one or morenuts 32 are screwed upon the threaded portions 28 of the posts, and saidnuts may be prevented from working off by placing cotter pins or theirequivalents through the openings 29.

In the operation of the bit, more or less leverage is obtained at therein end of the cheek sections 10 by adjusting the bar B downward orupward, so as to give the said rein sections 10 of the cheek pieces moreor less of a downward and rearward inclination, or carry them more orless to an approximate horizontal position, in which latter positionshown in Fig. 1, the leverage is least at said cheek sections 10; andwhen the slides connected with the bar are at the bottom of the slots 14in the forward sections l0 of the cheek pieces, the leverage is greatestat the said rein sections 10.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as ew, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a driving bit, comprisingcheek pieces constructed in pivotally connected sections, a bar locatedbetween the forward sections and mounted to slide therein, lockingdevices for the bar, and arms pivotally carried by the said bar andpivotally con nected with the rear sections of the cheek pieces.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a bridle bit consisting of twocheek pieces, each constructed in two sections, a rearwardly extendingsection and an upwardly extending section, the sections of the saidcheek pieces being connected at the forward end portion of therearwardly-extending sections, the pivots for the upwardlyextendingsections being forward of a line drawn through their centers, a barconnecting the vertically-extending sections of the cheek pieces, whichbar has sliding and guided movement longitudinally of the said upwardlyeX- tending sections of the cheek pieces, and arched arms pivotallyconnected with the end portions of the said bar and with the rearwardlyextending sections of the cheek pieces to the rear of their pivotalconnections with the upwardly-extending sections.

3. In a bridle bit, the combination with the cheek pieces, each being aduplicate of the other and each cheek piece consisting of arearwardly-extending section and an upwardlyextending forward section,the upwardly-extending forward sections having forward projections attheir lower portions and pivot pins carried by said projections, mountedto turn in the forward end portions of the rearwardly-extendingsections, each forward section of a cheek piece being also provided witha longitudinal slot, of a bar connecting the forward sections of thecheek pieces, which bar has a guide plate at each end having guidedengagement with the inner faces of the said forward sections of thecheek pieces, each plate being also provided with a lug on its outerface, mounted to slide in the slot in the forward section of the cheekpiece, and an outwardly-extending post integral with each lug, upwardlyand forwardly-curved arms pivoted to the rearwardly-extending sectionsof the cheek pieces between their ends, also being pivotally connectedwith said posts, and means [or holding said arms and said bar inadjusted position.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, a bridle bit comprisingopposing cheek pieces, members pivotally attached to the cheek piecesand extending upward therefrom, a mouth bar adjustably carried on thecheek pieces, and means connected with the said mouth bar and with thecheek pieces for regulating the position of the mouth bar,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCISCO GUEDEZ.

Witnesses JULIO A. locivrnxis, LIONEL J. T. )IANN.

